Into the Woods...

...A Silver Bayonet Solo Scenario.

As the long summer holiday comes crashing to an end I decided to spend the last couple of days working through the first solo mission for The Silver Bayonet, the Wolf Pack. Now from the outset I should stress that I find playing any new game initially overwhelming. I seem to struggle with the amount of numbers be they modifiers or character stats and can often feel myself becoming incredibly agitated when constantly having to stop and check something in the rules. Given that I have spent an inordinate amount of time painting miniatures and creating terrain I do find this hard to come to terms with. Then there is the nagging thought in the back of my mind that I should be somehow documenting this encounter, perhaps to share on this most humblest of weblogs. However taking photographs only adds to the stop, start nature that I am desperately trying to avoid. Anyway, I stuck with it and played the scenario twice, slowly learning from my mistakes and becoming more familiar with the rules. I can see why they are so popular as they naturally build in intensity and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters that I have invested time in creating. As the Saintly Mrs. Awdry was out playing golf, I took the opportunity to dictate each turn into my phone and as I become more confident in what I was doing I started to notice that the narrative was becoming more involved. I have now spent some time tidying up the commentary, making sure that the odd misheard phrase is corrected and sprinkled in some stardust to help enhance the atmosphere. The result is, I hope, a more enjoyable retelling, more as a story as opposed to a roll by roll account. There is nothing new in this, but it was something that I was keen to try for myself. I should stress that I went back and set up the photographs at a later date, taking a little more time with their composition to serve as illustrations for the piece rather than documentary evidence that would only have continued to slow the pace of the adventure. So presented below is the first scenario, the introduction to which owes more than an nod to the original author, Joseph A. McCullough...

***

Scenario One: The Wolf Pack

Two weeks earlier, a specialist unit had disappeared in the depths of the forest.  Their orders had been simple enough, find the lost chapel, investigate the surrounding area and report back; yet the patrol had never returned.  Now Captain Jim Blunt and his small band had been sent to follow their trail; to discover the fate of the missing men and, if possible, to recover their orders before they fell into enemy hands.

For three days they had followed the tracks deeper into the woods. The trail itself proved surprisingly easy to follow. The previous expedition had left a clear path through the undergrowth and there had been little rain to wash away the evidence of their passing.  With every mile, however, the forest seemed to close around them.  By the third evening, the light was already beginning to fail when they came upon a scene of utter carnage; they had found the missing unit, or at least, what was left of it.

Before anyone could investigate further, a howl echoed through the trees. It was answered by another, then another. The sound seemed to come from every direction.  In the gathering darkness, bright eyes began to appear amongst the trees; the wolves had found them.

Turn 1

Lt. Johnny Elton, known to his companions as The Rocket Man, wasted little time.  Leading from the front, he pushed ahead and quickly reached the first object half concealed amongst the undergrowth. The clue proved to be the Queen of Spades; a silver knife, perhaps not the most dramatic discovery, but a most welcome one nonetheless.  Johnny was already carrying silver shot and the addition of a silver blade meant that he was now rather well equipped for whatever unpleasantness the forest intended to offer.

Phil McCracken was rather more cautious.  He edged forward, musket at the ready, when a rustle in the trees brought him up sharply.  Turning towards the sound, he caught sight of a Dark Wolf moving through the shadows at the very edge of his range.  Phil steadied himself, the shot rang out.  The wolf yelped as the ball struck home, disappearing briefly into the undergrowth, badly wounded but very much alive.

Myfanwy moved forward to join Phil and Johnny, whilst Ben Doon came around a low rise in the ground and immediately spotted another of the creatures.  He brought his musket to his shoulder and fired.  This time there was no need for a second shot as the wolf collapsed where it stood.  Then the moon broke through the clouds and a long, chilling howl pierced the night. Something much larger moved amongst the trees; a werewolf had entered the hunt.

Almost simultaneously, another Dark Wolf burst from the bushes and hurled itself directly at Johnny. Teeth and claws flashed in the moonlight as the creature drove him backwards.  Somehow, Johnny held his ground, keeping the beast at bay, but when the opportunity came to strike back, his soldierly instincts appeared to abandon him completely.  Johnny swung, but missed.  The wolf lunged and Johnny dodged; for the moment, the two remained locked in combat.

Captain Blunt decided that it was time to intervene.  Raising his trusted Baker rifle, he took aim at the nearest Dark Wolf. His first attempt was poor, but a second, more determined effort proved considerably more successful.  The shot smashed through the animal's ribs, leaving it grievously wounded.

Lord Byron, the unit's Supernatural Investigator, followed his Captain's example.  Unfortunately, his pistol shot disappeared harmlessly into a nearby tree.  The wolf, however, was not to enjoy its good fortune for long as Dr. ‘Saw Bones' McCoy calmly removed his pistol from its holster, took careful aim and shot the wounded creature squarely between the eyes.  He lowered the pistol, muttered, “He’s dead, Jim” and continued on his way.

Between the two groups stood Conor McLeod, the Highlander drew his mighty claymore and strode deliberately into the open, his sporran swinging from side to side as he confronted another Dark Wolf; it was difficult to decide which of the two appeared more alarmed.  In the distance, more howling began, the pack was gathering.

Turn 2

Lt. Johnny Elton was still engaged in his private struggle with the wolf when he finally regained his composure.  This time his strike was decisive and the beast fell, and Johnny, breathing heavily from the exertion, withdrew to form a second line behind McLeod.

The Highlander, meanwhile, was already advancing.  Directly ahead lay another clue marker and, beyond it, another snarling wolf. McLeod reached the object first and uncovered the Jack of Spades; a silver Saint's medallion, a very welcome discovery.  The medallion promised further protection against the unnatural creatures now stalking the party, and the company needed all the assistance it could find.

Ben Doon looked up from reloading his musket and saw the great Highlander striding forward. Inspired, perhaps unwisely, by the sight, Ben advanced to confront the wolf before him.  His bayonet struck home and the wound it caused was a serious one, but the wolf's response was immediate and ferocious.  It hurled itself upon Ben, forcing him backwards and leaving him badly mauled.

Phil saw his mess mate fall back, bleeding heavily and immediately began moving towards him.  Before he could arrive, however, the wounded wolf chose a new opponent.  It charged McLeod, but the Highlander stood his ground.  Just as the wolf attacked, McLeod swung the enormous claymore crashing it down and the creature collapsed at his feet.

No sooner had the Highlander dispatched one wolf than another burst from cover and launched itself at Captain Blunt.  Savage claws searched for his throat, but Jim held firm.  The rifleman forced the creature back and struck it hard, leaving it barely clinging to life.  Jim then advanced to finish the job and with a quick, flashing strike, the wolf was dispatched.  Whether he was then entirely entitled to reload his rifle in the manner he did remained a question for another day.  The important thing, for the moment, was that the wolf was dead and Jim was not.

Elsewhere, Lord Byron noticed a glint in the undergrowth, the King of Spades; a bag of silver shot.  Under normal circumstances, this would have been a fortunate discovery, but given that a werewolf was now roaming the forest, it seemed almost providential.

Dr. McCoy moved towards the wounded Ben, hoping to be close enough to treat him at the next opportunity and for a brief moment, the situation appeared almost manageable.  Two clues had been investigated with one corner of the forest clear of wolves.  Yet, that fleeting sense of victory bred a dangerous hubris, masking the growls echoing from the shadows ahead.  Another werewolf appeared; the creature threw back its head and howled at the moon.  Two of the great beasts were now abroad.

Ben was seriously wounded and the wolves were closing in and the remaining clues, including the missing orders, lay somewhere on the far side of the board.  The company would have to fight their way through the forest.

Byron decided that there was no time to waste and loading his pistol with silver shot, he stepped forward to confront one of the werewolves. He raised his weapon and fired.  The shot was magnificent, the silver ball struck the creature with devastating force, tearing through its supernatural defences and leaving the huge beast almost destroyed.

The werewolf looked back at Byron, Byron looked down at his empty pistol. There was, perhaps, a brief moment when neither was entirely certain what should happen next. Johnny Elton attempted to assist, but his own shot whistled harmlessly past the creature's ear startling an owl that was watching the adventure unfold. Captain Blunt, meanwhile, had spotted another wolf closing in on his companions. His rifle cracked and the creature dropped immediately at their feet. Jim then moved forward, placing himself between his friends and the advancing werewolf.

Ben, bleeding and exhausted, limped towards the Doctor; he had survived the first onslaught, but only just.

Turn 3

The forest had become a place of howls, musket smoke and flashing steel.  One of the werewolves advanced purposefully towards Captain Blunt.  Jim met it head on and as tooth and claw clashed against his great sword the two struggled in the darkness.  Jim held firm, but neither combatant could gain the advantage and they remained locked together.

Lord Byron's difficulties were rather more immediate.  A Dark Wolf suddenly burst from cover and crashed into him, leaving the Supernatural Investigator badly wounded.  With only the narrowest margin between survival and disaster, Byron struck back, his fencing blade flashed and the wolf fell.

Myfanwy now moved towards another of the clue markers, manipulating the strange currents of fate that surrounded the encounter. The distinction between exactly how these powers should operate in a solo expedition would become clearer later; for the moment, everyone involved was simply grateful for any assistance they could get.

Dr. McCoy finally reached Ben and began tending to his wounds.  McLeod strode towards the second werewolf, determined to finish what he had begun. Drawing back his blood soaked claymore, he struck.  The great beast gave one final howl to the moon before collapsing.

Phil McCracken, seeing the Doctor and Myfanwy moving towards the next clue, hurried after them; there was still work to be done.  The trees seemed to gather behind them, swallowing the smoke from their muskets and concealing whatever still moved amongst the shadows.

Turn 4

Captain Blunt and the remaining werewolf were still standing toe to toe.  This time Jim had the advantage, his silver blade flashed repeatedly in the darkness and, after a desperate exchange, the werewolf finally fell.  The immediate danger around him removed, Jim began moving back towards the rest of the party.  Lord Byron also withdrew, reloading one of his pistols.  Johnny did the same, strengthening the group's defensive position and preparing for whatever came next.  Ben Doon, still feeling the effects of his earlier mauling, took aim at a wolf following through the trees; the shot went wide.

The wolves, however, were not yet finished with Captain Blunt.  The first creature charged him and was swiftly dispatched.  A second immediately followed, but this one proved rather more dangerous.  The wolf's attack left Jim reeling, badly wounded and in no position to take another, similar blow.  Nevertheless, the brave Captain fought back furiously, finally dispatching the creature and sending it to whatever particularly unpleasant corner of Hell had been set aside for werewolves and their smaller cousins.

Two wolves now emerged from the gloom and began moving towards the smaller group of stragglers; they had smelt blood and they were coming closer.  Myfanwy and Phil pressed on towards the next clue, whilst Dr. McCoy tended to Byron's wounds.  McLeod turned back towards the others, once again assuming his increasingly familiar role as a very large Scottish defensive wall.

Another wolf appeared at the far side of the forest, fortunately, it was some distance away, for the moment.

Then Myfanwy reached the next marker, the Ten of Spades, an ornate silver ramrod.  Useful, certainly, but not the missing orders; the search continued.  Phil McCracken, sensing the urgency of the situation, moved ahead.  Ben and Lord Byron reloaded their weapons and followed him, whilst the remaining wolves circled through the trees.  The party was moving forward again, but Myfanwy had become isolated.  For the moment she was safe, but in this forest, however, that could change very quickly.

Turn 5

Phil McCracken saw something in a thicket ahead and moved towards it quickly. There, half concealed beneath the branches, were the missing orders. At last, the mission was complete! For the first time since entering the forest, escape seemed possible. The woods, however, had not finished with them yet. Myfanwy immediately made for the edge of the forest and was the first to reach safety. Lt. Johnny Elton and Dr. McCoy followed, although the Doctor paused briefly to tend once more to Ben before continuing his retreat.

The remaining group had stayed in the forest just a moment too long, a wolf came crashing into the rear of Lord Byron. Caught by surprise, the Supernatural Investigator nevertheless recovered quickly. His fencing weapon parried the creature's attack before he struck back, leaving the wolf barely alive. A second wolf followed and again Byron defended himself, pushing the beast back and leaving it badly wounded.

Ben Doon now stepped forward, taking careful aim, he fired at the wolf threatening the retreating party. The shot was devastating and the creature disappeared from the fight and the path towards safety was suddenly clear. Perhaps, at last, the forest was beginning to release them. Byron, Jim and McLeod turned and ran for the edge of the table, behind them, the howling continued.

Turn 6

Only three members of the party remained to activate in the first phase of the retreat.  Johnny Elton disappeared from the forest to join Myfanwy.  Phil McCracken hurried forward to join Ben, who stood guard near the edge, musket reloaded and ready to assist any of his comrades who emerged from the trees.  Behind them, the rearguard was still fighting.

A Dark Wolf charged McLeod, but the great Scotsman turned, brought his claymore around and removed the creature's head with considerable efficiency.  He barely had time to appreciate his handiwork before another wolf attacked.  This one failed to capitalise on the surprise, but McLeod also missed his mark and the two remained locked together.

Elsewhere, the final wolf charged Captain Blunt. Jim turned and blocked the attack, but his response did little more than wound the creature. Neither he nor McLeod had yet escaped. From the edge of the forest, the rest of the company could hear the fighting but see little through the trees. All they could do was wait and hope. Mercifully, the next strange turn of fate brought no fresh disaster with no more wolves appearing in the forest; at this stage, nobody was inclined to complain.

Turn 7

McLeod was still fighting, the wolf came at him once more.  This time the Highlander struck first and the creature fell leaving McLeod to begin  his final, weary withdrawal from the forest.  Ben Doon and Phil McCracken put their arms around each other and, apparently finding something enormously amusing that nobody else had witnessed, chortled quietly as they stepped from danger.

Dr. McCoy checked his bag, presumably ensuring that all his medical supplies were in order before making his own escape leaving only Jim remaining in serious danger.  The final wolf came for him, had it developed a personal grievance?  The creature hurled itself at the Captain, slashing and biting with renewed fury, Jim was left reeling from the attack.

There was, admittedly, some later discussion regarding precisely how many wounds Captain Blunt ought already to have been carrying at this point. Certain records suggest that the situation may have been somewhat more serious than first realised.  Nevertheless, in the interests of allowing the expedition to continue, the Captain fought on.

Jim struck back, driving the wolf away and leaving it clinging to life.  Then came his opportunity.  He raised his rifle calmly to his shoulder with the wounded creature only a short distance away.  Jim fired and the wolf fell.  At last, the rifleman turned, glanced back briefly and staggered from the forest to join the others.  Behind him, the forest grew quiet once more, for now.

***

And so ended the first expedition. The missing orders had been recovered, nobody had been permanently inconvenienced and the newly formed band had discovered that the forests of whatever benighted corner of Europe they currently occupied contained an entirely unreasonable number of wolves. More importantly, their commander had learnt a little about the rules, their chronicler had learnt that photographs need not be taken in the middle of the action and Captain Blunt had developed what can only be described as an unhealthy relationship with the local wildlife.

Crocodiles in the Congo!

I had hoped to post a full and detailed account of Dr. Jones' adventure in the Congo, but with the end of the long summer holiday and the start of the academic year, time just seemed to evaporate. That said, I am determined to keep some sort of momentum going even if that is just stumbling through the occasional month in order to clear a backlog of half finished posts that I have built up.  

Back to the game in hand and rather than post a step by step report, I thought I would summarise the encounter, detailing some of my thought processes before sharing the photographs of the day.  The adventure was to be a homebrewed affair, sandwiching two of the given scenarios together - The Sanctuary and A River Runs through It.  This was to be played using the Forest Tribes and White Men Expeditions factions, using roughly equal points.  The teams were fairly standard in their make up, but for the sake of the narrative sailors replaced soldiers.  

Our story revolves around an artifact said to possess significant power; the holder of which is believed to be the rightful ruler of the jungle.  This has seen the rise of a truly fearsome tribe whose belief in their own invincibility has corrupted their moral sensibilities to the point where they take human sacrifice.  Of unknown origin, the artifact is the stuff of myth and legend and so not surprisingly Dr. Llewellyn Jones has been tasked with securing it for the British Museum.  Local scouts report that the cannibal shine, home to a great many artifacts and fetishes, is through the next clearing.  Dr. Jones and his column need to locate it and make their escape, through the swamp, to where they hope the paddle steamer will be waiting for them.  

As far as gameplay was concerned the Forest Tribes got to place six totems in their area of the table, these could be out in the open or hidden within the 'Dangerous Terrain'.   Each of the totems was numbered on the base, although not visible to the opposing player, before a D6 was rolled to establish which of these is to be considered the fabled artefact.  As soon as the explorers locate the artefact they can make a break for the river, but this will inevitably take them through the swamp.  When entering the swamp, and at the start of each following turn if still bogged down in it a D6 is rolled.  Depending on outcome the result could be inconsequential, stressful or an attack by one or a group of hungry crocodiles.  

The joy of the Congo ruleset is its unpredictability and even though Dr. Jones' column is carrying signifiant firepower the overwhelming numbers of the pygmy archers, who instantly win on the roll of any double, can turn a game in the flash of a poisoned dart.  Dr. Jones, unsurprisingly split his column into three teams with the scouts roaming ahead as a possible screen.   Ably assisted by another scientist, Dr. Jones headed off with the trained Askaris and a couple of bearers and immediately came across a totem, seemingly abandoned  in a clearing; alas it wasn't the one they were looking for.  Alerted to the presence of the Forest Tribes by the rustling of the undergrowth the party headed off in search of the fabled artifact.  Any slight advantage now nullified, it wasn't long before the local inhabitants closed with the famed explorer and in a frenzied assault the Askaris were cut to pieces, Dr. Jones forced to flee for his life.  Meanwhile, Lady Marion, escorted by a Royal Navy landing party, decided to risk exploring some dangerous terrain and as luck would have it located the artefact at her first attempt!  The chase was now very much on as Lady Marion and her team race towards to swamp and the hope of retrieval by the paddle steamer.  The Forest Tribes abandoned their toying of Dr. Jones, much to his relief and looked to close the gap as quickly as possible.  Dr. Jones, not one to give up gracefully made a series of daring, harrying attacks that gave the good Lady just the time she needed to make it to the swamp.  The comparative safety of cover was short lived as the surface of the swamp erupted with the thrashing of scaled tail and gnashing jaws - a crocodile attack!  Several good men were lost to this encounter, before the good Lady managed to extricate herself from the unforgiving terrain and started the swim for the steamer.  With the artifact no longer in the possession the Forest Tribes also succumbed to a reptilian ravishing allowing Marion the chance to pull herself up and onto the deck of the boat.

This effectively ended the game, a fast paced romp through the jungle with a movie like narrative and hugely entertaining fun.  Ideally we would run through the scenario a second time with the opposing players changing sides, but it had taken us a little longer than expected to remember the rules and so time was called.  Fabulous fun and always lovely to get this collection on the table, but I was also thrilled with the addition of the swamp mechanic that just seemed to ramp up the excitement at the end of the scenario.

Shoot 'n' Skedaddle

Just the briefest of posts to share some of the photographs taken of our game of Shoot 'n' Skedaddle.  Sadly the details are somewhat lost to the ravages of time, but essentially this is a fun, fast paced skirmish game that we played as a three header.  Each player had assembled a posse or gang of characters and charged around the board trying to capture the objectives whilst ducking waves of lead fired from an opposing player.  My understanding that these rules are free to play and can be found here.

An overview of the completed table, something that I found hugely rewarding and just revisiting the build in this series of posts has made me quite keen to add and develop it further.

The Scouring of Muchwhinging

They came and came again, three times before the day was done. Three times the villagers of Muchwhinging had to muster every ounce of courage they possessed in a seemingly vain attempt to repel this blight to the land. Casualties were taken on both sides, some wouldn't make it through the night. The evil would come gain, but would we be ready?

Joined by Messrs Bull and Templar, Awdry Towers played host to some Witchfinding fun, this weekend, brought to life by using the 'Donnybrook' rules. I have been beavering away since the start of the year, sketching out, planing, building terrain and painting miniatures*, but I think that it was fair to say that I was a little anxious by the prospect of the day. I was pleased with how the table looked, but here I was trying to introduce two veteran 40K Gamers to the dark and difficult world of 17th Century England, using a rule set that I had no experience of; as they say, what could possibly go wrong?

*some only finished were only finished this week! 

As it happens, everything, but in the best possible way!  It was clear from the outset that 'Donnybrook', looks to champion the chaos of skirmish battles during the period of black powder.  The mechanic of character cards, drawn randomly, plays brilliantly to this ethos and is a manageable step for someone whose gaming experience is limited to board games and a recent foray into the jungles of the Congo.  Both gentlemen had been forewarned to bring a sense of humour and I am delighted to report that much laughter ensued.  

Once again, however, I have singularly failed in taking enough photographs or recording events in the detailed required to relay a full and edifying report; I was having far too much fun if the truth be told.  What I can tell you is that we played the same scenario three times, allowing each player to get a couple of turns to get to grips with the rules and a particular faction.  The 'prelude', had hinted at the objective, simply defend the village of Muchwhinging and see off the forces of evil.  Although pared down, and with some made up characters the games seemed to be fairly balanced with the result coming down to the last handful of units.  What follows is a series of images to help convey some of the action.

To a game that was already chaotic enough we added a touch more frivolity by adding the 'event' card to the final two encounters.  'The Dark Templar' looked on incredulously as his hero, Alain de la Slaughter, in Manbat form, was lured by Helen Highwater, the village Doxy, to her boudoir before slipping a stiletto blade between his ribs.  All this shortly after a previous event card saw his terrifying Ghouls, pack up and leave the battlefield, apparently missing their friends and families** - oh how we chortled; well maybe not all of us!

**or should that be fiends and familiars? 

On reflection, I was absolutely thrilled with how the day went.  Yes, Donnybrook is a tad light for some, but perfect for what we wanted.  The ability to build on the narrative and enjoy the role playing element is a lot of fun, especially when played with likeminded souls.  To that end, I need to thank both Mike 'The Dark Templar' Reynolds and 'Bullcher Feb' who's participation, good humour and support was paramount in making this such an enjoyable day.

Addendum:

Both Mike and Bull have each kindly written up a report of the day, which can be found by following the links below.  Once again Chaps, my heartfelt thanks.

A day of gaming that will long live in the memory! - Bullcher Feb

Donnybrook Witchfinder - Mike Reynolds